Potchefstroom Information and Accommodation
1838 – Potchefstroom established by Andries Hendrik Potgieter and his Voortrekkers. Name derived from POT(gieter), CHEF(meaning the leader, referring to Potgieter) and STROOM (in English "stream" - the Mooi River)
Until 1960 it was the capital of the old South African Republic of which the first president, Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, was sworn in at Potchefstroom.
1840 – disastrous floods hit the town, originally built on the position of what is currently know as “Oude Dorp” or Old Town in English. Potchefstroom as we know it today was then developed a distance of one hour’s horseride to the south of “Oude Dorp” on the banks of the Mooi River.
Potchefstroom was given historical value because it was the very first town north of the Vaal River.
1842 – Dutch Reformed Church in the Transvaal founded in Potchefstroom.
Famous writer Totius worked in Potchefstroom from where they contributed richly to the Afrikaans language and culture.
1880 – first shots of the First War of Independence fired in Potchefstroom.
1899 – 1902 – Potchefstroom played a prominent role in the guerilla phase of the Anglo Boer War.
1905 - the town has been the theological seminary of the Gereformeerde Kerk since 1905.
People like Totius also worked here and made their irreplaceable contribution to the Afrikaans language and culture.
Potchefstroom has 24 declared national monuments and boasts many other “firsts” as well:
- First Government Gazette printed in Potchefstroom
- First public press in Transvaal
- First church building in Transvaal
- First coat of arms of the Republic designed here
- First constitution of the Republic drafted here
- The “Vierkleur” designed and hoisted here the first time
- First town in the Transvaal to obtain municipal management